Even the soundest building envelope is vulnerable to the damaging effects of seasonal changes. Let’s explore the common seasonal causes of damage and the early warning signs of envelope failures.
Understanding seasonal changes
Constant seasonal changes can shorten the expected service life of building envelope materials in several ways:
- Temperature: When temperatures rise and fall, sealants, cladding, and roof membranes expand and contract. Rapid temperature swings increase the movement of the fluctuations, causing cracks, joint failure, and delamination. Differences in interior and exterior temperatures also cause damage. When warm, humid air meets cold surfaces (or vice versa), condensation develops, leading to moisture damage.
- Moisture: The damage from temperature swings allows moisture from rain, snow, ice, and snowmelt to enter the building enclosure. Water trapped inside roofs and walls freezes and melts with changing temperatures, widening gaps and creating new cracks. Moisture leads to wood rot, metal corrosion, and interior mould growth.
- Wind: High winds can uplift envelope materials, cause punctures from blowing debris, and completely remove envelope components. High wind damage increases the risk of moisture intrusion. Airborne debris from the building can cause further building damage and injuries, increasing the risk of liabilities.
- Heat: Ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures break down sealants, coatings, and membranes, causing brittleness that weakens building envelope components. Damage reduces water resistance, air tightness, and energy efficiency while increasing the risk of damage to underlying materials. UV rays also cause fading and discolouration that impacts both aesthetic appeal and degradation of protective coatings.
Building envelope shortfalls and seasonal changes
The biggest threat of seasonal changes is that a single failure impacts the entire building envelope. Any shortfall in the building envelope’s installation, condition, or material choices accelerates damage from seasonal changes, including:
- Water infiltration: Poor transitions between materials and deferred maintenance allow moisture to penetrate walls and roofs, increasing the risk for widespread damage. Other issues, such as poor ventilation and inadequate vapour barriers, cause condensation, further damaging the envelope and underlying assemblies.
- Air leakage: A lack or loss of air barrier continuity allows condensation to form on cold surfaces, causing hidden moisture damage.
- Thermal bridging: Poor design, damaged materials, and insufficient insulation decrease thermal resistance, allowing heat to move through building envelopes. Energy efficiency is compromised, and resulting condensation also accelerates underlying material damage.
- Degradation: Deferred maintenance and lack of inspections expose materials to changing weather damage, creating wider cracks, causing new gaps, and decreasing the building envelope’s weather resistance.
Signs of seasonal damage to look for
Regular inspections catch the early visible signs of damage, including:
- Water stains
- Peeling paint and finishes
- Fading
- Loose or missing cladding
- Soft spots
- Damaged seals around windows and doors
- Damaged joints
- Brittle seals and coatings
- Pooling on flat roofs
- Cracks in walls and concrete surfaces
- Damaged or missing weatherstripping around doors and windows
- Damaged windowpanes, frames, sills, etc.
- Rust stains on concrete surfaces such as balconies
- Ice dams/icicles along the roofline
- White deposits, flaking, staining, etc. on masonry
- Loose, cracked, or missing mortar
- Leaky gutter systems
- Damage to balconies
- Damaged junctions in the foundations
- Exposed insulation
- Damaged skylights
- Damage to HVAC supply and return register boots
Following a thorough inspection, damage is repaired to prolong building envelope life and prevent further damage. In severe cases, material replacement or building envelope restoration is required.
WellDone Inc. understands the causes of seasonal damage and can prevent failures through inspections. Our qualified inspectors protect your assets and enhance building envelope performance for increased occupant comfort, property value, and long-term cost savings.
If you would like more information about building envelopes, inspections, and repairs, speak to the experts at WellDone Inc., a building restoration company specializing in building improvements for commercial and multi-unit residential buildings throughout the GTA.